


Crashing Like Waves

by Beltenebra



Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment, KAT-TUN (Band), NewS (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-07-12 22:54:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7126597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beltenebra/pseuds/Beltenebra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A special investigator steps in when a discerning collector learns the hard way that some forces are not meant to be contained.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crashing Like Waves

**Author's Note:**

> I blame this story entirely on Massu. The idea came to me somewhere in the middle of listening to Remedy on repeat an undisclosed number of times. That boy's voice does things to my brain. 

It should have worked. It _had_ worked – for nearly a year. Masumoto-san had stepped into the harness and Koyama had checked the buckles, made sure all of the straps were secure and Matsumoto-san couldn't reach any of them. Matsumoto-san used the usual signals to indicate that he was comfortable – as comfortable as anyone could be so thoroughly restrained, Koyama guessed. 

Everything was prepared, Koyama approached the enclosure. Even in the privacy of his own head he hated to call it a cage but that's undoubtedly what it was. It was a very nice cage: a clear box larger than Koyama's first apartment outfitted with a bed, toilet, a very large bath - all of the amenities one could want. Except a way out. 

He sat with preternatural stillness, waiting for Koyama. Dark eyes tracked Koyama's movements towards the securely locked door but his beautiful face could have been carved in stone – marred only by the harsh black slash of the gag. Koyama hated that too but they couldn't take any chances. The room wasn't soundproof, which was kind of the point, after all. 

"I'm sorry, Masuda-san," Koyama whispered, as he always did – low enough that Matusmoto-san couldn't hear, he would have reminded Koyama that the creature wasn't made for his remorse. _'He's not human, Koyama-kun. He doesn't have emotions like we do.' Matusmoto's black eyes glittered with the glee of a new acquisition. 'You can't forget that he is deadly, given the slightest chance he would see us both breathing sea water.'_

It didn't really matter to Koyama, he felt for all of the creatures in Matsumoto's collection. He was all too aware of Matsumoto-san's personality; he would never have chosen this position. Koyama was technically just an employee, his leash was quite long but he couldn't kid himself into thinking that he was any more free than the man behind the glass. 

He was used to the routine now – check his noise-canceling headgear, unlock the door, check the equipment again, step into the enclosure, lock the door, look back to get the confirmation signal from Matsumoto-san, signal received, check the equipment. He approached Masuda who, as always, seemed to be waiting perfectly patiently. Matsumoto-san strained a bit against the straps, eager anticipation written all over his face. He reached out and loosened the bindings of the gag, watched in silent fascination as Masuda opened and closed his mouth a few times, stretched his jaw. Koyama stepped back and waited, just out of reach that the silver chain shackled to Masuda's foot allowed. 

Masuda took a deep breath and began to sing. Well, Koyama assumed he did. The entire point of the elaborate gear he sported was that he could never hear it himself. Matsumoto's face indicated that things were proceeding as they normally did. His employer's eyes were closed, his sharply beautiful features twisted into tortured ecstasy. Matusmoto-san's body bucked up against the straps, trying to get free, hands making futile attempts to reach the restraints. Koyama assumed he was issuing orders to release him, to release Masuda, maybe to jump off a pier – it was anyone's guess. Koyama was encased in a bubble of silence, the faint whoosh of his own pulse in his ears the only sound. 

_'But Matsumoto-san, how will you make him sing? I read once that creatures don't behave in captivity the way they do in the wild.' His employer smiled that cool, cutting smile of his. 'It's simple, Koyama-kun. He has to sing, it's in his nature. And if we keep him silent he'll have no other choice – he'll sing when I say so or die.'_

Koyama always wondered what he sang about. Ships at sea and crashing waves? Top 40 pop hits? His home? He had no idea where Masuda came from but Koyama assumed he missed it. 

A flash of movement caught his eye, tore him out of his reverie. Masuda was hunched over, presumably no longer singing. It looked like he might be coughing or choking? Koyama panicked, Matsumoto-san was lunging against the straps, screaming something Koyama couldn't make out. Did he need water? Medical help? What kind of medical help could they get – he didn't even know where to start. Matsumoto-san would kill him if Masuda was harmed. He rushed to Masuda's side, laying a cautious hand on one heaving shoulder. 

Masuda raised his head, those bottomless eyes flashing up at Koyama through silky bangs. His full lips quirked up in a wicked smirk and a second before Koyama could throw himself backward a strong hand ripped at the equipment covering Koyama's ears. He yelped at the sudden pain as his head jerked in the strong grip. The equipment was quite secure but there was a tiny slip, a small gap and before he could fix it - 

"Stop right there." He did – muscles quivering with the effort of suddenly stopped motion. His head was full of fog but Masuda was there beaming like the sun. And that voice, a silver bell threading through his thoughts. Everything would be fine. He just had to follow the music. 

He removed the restrictive headgear first then fetched the key that secured Masuda's chain, drifting along to the haunting melody. Somewhere in his head a small voice was protesting, trying to point out that this is what they were trying to avoid this whole time – DEFCON 1, worst case scenario – but the music swelled and the voice was drowned out, a minor annoyance. Mastumoto-san seemed to be passed out in his bonds. Koyama smiled. That was probably best, he needed more rest than he usually got. 

He unlocked the door and opened it with a small flourish, smiling reassuringly at Masuda. Why had they always kept that horrible gag on him? His smile was so beautiful. The song was quieter now, a soothing background hum. Masuda approached him, threading a graceful hand into his hair, "You're a good person, Koyama." Koyama hummed in agreement, happy that Masuda was happy. Then Masuda was leaving, the faint glow of his song trailing behind him. And everything went dark. 

Koyama came to with a jolt. What was he doing on the floor? The cage! Was empty. Matsumoto was unconscious and Masuda was gone. 

~~~

Kato Shigeaki scanned the metro section of the daily paper hoping he wouldn't find what he was looking for. 

**Sumida Banking Corp. VP Found Dead in Home** Suzuki had been successful, well-liked, and in perfect health – he was found face down in his own bathtub, no traces of alcohol or drugs in his system and the bathroom door was locked from the inside. A ground level window was the only possible point of entry but it only measured 10 cm by 20 cm so that was out. 

A fairly high-profile victim, mysterious death involving proximity to water - it fit his profile perfectly. It was the third one in two weeks. Fuck. First a minor government minister had thrown himself into Tokyo Bay. Then they found an Olympic swimmer drowned in the showers at his practice pool. Now this. The first death had been ruled as a suicide, several witnesses had seen the man jump with no trace of anyone near enough to touch him. No evidence of foul play had been detected in the second death either, officials were baffled but it was classified an accidental death. Now this. 

He tossed the paper down with a disgusted sound and dialed the number he wanted from memory. 

"Nakamaru." 

"It's Kato." 

"Oh,good. I was just about to call you. Shit's getting weird." 

"Story of my life." 

Kato was glad he wasn't a cop like his friend and police contact, Nakamaru. Too much bureaucratic bullshit and not enough actual problem solving. Due process and procedure were all well and good in normal cases but the kinds of things Kato handled were never normal. Very few people in the department were aware of his involvement but Kato was called in as a consultant when the police ran up against a perpetrator who needed special treatment. 

If pressed he would describe himself as a 'problem solver specializing in extraordinary circumstances' – more forthright people would probably say he was a monster hunter. Which wasn't strictly speaking true. He also dealt with ghosts sometimes. 

"I assume you've been following the situation." 

Nakamaru sounded harried but not completely panicked. Good. He was next to useless when he was freaking out. Kato dealt most directly with Nakamaru because the lieutenant had the dubious honor of having worked a few cases with Kato when the shit hit the fan. Much to his chagrin, he was well aware of the existence of the creatures Kato hunted. 

"Yeah, I just caught the third in this morning's paper. Two means a potential connection but three is a spree." 

"I'm looking at number four now. I've never seen anything quite like this, Shige." 

A fourth death was a shame but also meant that the evidence would be fresh, give him a solid place to start. "Send me the address, I'm on my way." 

Kato met the lieutenant in a sky high hotel suite in Ginza, flashing his ID at the door. "Kato, consultant for special investigations." He was waved in by the uniform at the door and made his way back to the palatial bedroom. 

Holy shit. Nakamaru hadn't mentioned that the victim was Kamenashi Kazuya. The actor had released a hit movie about six months ago and had already begun work on his next film. Kato wondered off-hand if they had enough footage to release it or if they'd have to scrap the project. 

"He died perfectly dry on the bed room floor?" 

Nakamaru rolled his eyes. "Would I have called you if that were the case? No. We'll have to wait for the full autopsy of course but the medical examiner's preliminary analysis says that his stomach burst. From consuming an extraordinary quantity of water in a very short period of time. 

Shige nodded, "You're right, that fits. Also, ugh." 

"No kidding. It's a sloshy way to die." 

The lieutenant ran down his notes, "No forced entry, no signs of a struggle, no signs of restraint of any kind, or physical force. Looks like some kind of strange compulsion. I can't imagine a level of blackmail that would be worth forcing yourself to literally explode. Nakamaru took a step closer and lowered his voice a touch. "Kappa?"

There were uniforms and techs all over the suite but Nakamaru trusted his people. However he couldn't vouch for the one or two hotel employees being interviewed in the main room of the suite so Shige gestured Nakamaru over to the corner of the bedroom. 

"Not a bad guess but it doesn't fit exactly. They almost always stick to natural bodies of water and they don't have any kind of magic that allows them to affect people without touching them." 

Nakamaru nodded, already taking notes. Shige caught movement in the corner of his vision and whipped around. "You. Who are you?" 

The man was a touch taller than Shige, dark hair falling into startled fox eyes. Though he was dressed in a hotel uniform his elegant face was stuck in a slightly guilty expression, Shige's gut said he was out of place. 

"Um. Koyama Keiichiro." 

His eyes flicked off to the right - too off-balance to lie about his name. Good. Shige fixed him with a hard stare. "And what exactly do you have to do with this case, Koyama Keiichiro?" 

Koyama man flushed a bit under his golden tan, even, white teeth worrying the corner of his very pink lips. Fuck he was pretty - and inappropriate timing, much? 

"This is going to sound completely crazy but if you were really just talking about kappas, maybe you'll believe me." 

Shige smiled, quick and sharp. He had no idea. "Let's go." 

Fifteen minutes later they were ensconced in a booth at a diner around the corner from the hotel, going over crime scene photos. 

"So, Koyama, here's how it's going to work. You're going to tell us everything you know and I won't have Nakamaru arrest you for obstruction of justice." 

He worked the earnest look really well, Shige fought the urge to fidget under his direct gaze. If he was getting this distracted by an attractive face–and hands and lips, not to mention long, leanly-muscled body his brain added completely unhelpfully–he really needed to get laid after this case, blow off some steam. Shige was probably staring. Back to business. 

"I have a feeling you can shed some light on how our culprit can reach its victims without direct contact or even very close physical proximity. The reason I know it's not a kappa is that while they do enjoy a good drowning, they prefer to do it the old fashioned way. No leaving someone in the shower and letting their lungs fill up with water, no somehow compelling a person to literally drink themselves to death." 

"He's... well, I'm not exactly sure if it's the right name but Matsumoto-san called him a siren." 

Nakamaru's head snapped up from his notebook at the name. "Matsumoto Jun, suspected crime syndicate member, Matsumoto?" 

Koyama coughed nervously. "Yeah, I sort of work for him." 

"Sort of?" 

Shige's brief question broke down some internal barrier in Koyama and suddenly the man was spilling his entire story. His family got into some unavoidable debt, they got mixed up with some bad people, Matsumoto took a personal shine to him and Koyama was essentially strong-armed into employment. After a while the boss determined Koyama trustworthy enough to assist with his favorite hobby-collecting what he called 'rare and extraordinary creatures'. He told everything he knew about the siren and his abilities.

Finally Koyama wound down. "He told me not to contact him again until I could get some useful information about Massu's location. Matsumoto wants him back. Badly." 

'Yeah well, I want you to blow me but we don't always get what we want' – is what Shige did _not_ say out loud. Instead he stuck with more pertinent questions. "Massu?" 

"His name is Masuda. The siren. I'm sure he's not really evil, per se." 

Shige felt like his expression probably matched Nakamaru's look of disbelief. Koyama blushed again. "I mean we did keep him imprisoned for a year. It doesn't justifying killing innocent people. But. It must have been painful." 

Nakamaru patted Koyama's hand comfortingly. "You seem like a good person, Koyama-san. It wasn't really your fault."

The lieutenant pulled a sheaf of photos out of one of his many files. "Is this Masuda?" 

The photos had been pulled from surveillance cameras near the first crime scene. Of course the swimmer's shower and the banker's home didn't have cameras but Koyama should have been good for a positive ID. 

The figure near the edge of the photo looked normal – like a regular, if slightly fashionable, guy in his early-to-mid twenties. Nakamaru had enhanced versions for each of the handful of bystanders at the scene. The close-up of Masuda was far more telling. He was smiling, a sweet expression that was like a warm shimmer of sunlight on the sea but his eyes held the icy implacability of a watery grave. Shige suppressed a shudder. There was no doubt this was their man. More or less. 

Nakamaru's phone trilled and Shige listened to the one-sided conversation while doing his best to surreptitiously watch Koyama who was not so surreptitiously watching him. Shige wasn't really sure what to do with that. 

"Interesting. Ok, just leave it. I have an expert with me – I want him to hear it first. We'll be right there." 

At Shige's inquiring look, Nakamaru explained, "They found a recording on Kamenashi's cell phone. Apparently it's a sound clip that we think might have been recorded right around time of death." 

"Ok. Thank you for your cooperation, Koyama. Don't disappear, we may have further questions for you. " 

Koyama made a small sound of protest as Shige got up. "That's it? But. I thought I could... help." One elegant hand caught Shige's sleeve and he made the mistake of looking down at Koyama's pleading expression. He could feel his face soften – Nakamaru snorted in quiet amusement. "I promise not to get in the way. I do have a little relevant experience and Masuda knows me." 

He sighed. "Fine. Just. Do everything I tell you." 

That got him the first hint of a smile he'd seen on Koyama – a sly little half grin that made him shift uncomfortably. "No problem, Shige." 

"Who said you could call me Shige?" 

Koyama just shrugged. Nakamaru didn't bother hiding his chuckle this time. 

Shige physically shook his head to clear the cobwebs. Who knows if it helped but it made him feel better. Koyama and Nakamaru still looked a bit dazed as well. 

The recording was enlightening. It seemed like Kamenashi had his phone in his pocket when the siren approached him. He must have hit the record button before Masuda ordered him to stay still. Shige hadn't been sure how the recording would affect the three of them given that they weren't the intended targets. Also the compulsion was being delivered indirectly. In all of his time in this job he had only ever found a scant few mentions of sirens and no direct accounts of an interaction. 

He distinctly felt his will draining away into a dreamlike state but apparently he wasn't forced to follow the direct orders given to Kamenashi. When the recording was over the effect petered out, dissipating like fog in the sun. 

Koyama touched his hand and Shige jumped a bit, his mind wrenched back to the present. "He's going to go after Matusmoto-san. Maybe we can catch him then." 

Nakamaru beat Shige to his next question. "Why didn't Masuda kill Matsumoto when he had the chance? Weren't both of you pretty helpless when he escaped?" 

"I... don't know. But Matsumoto-san went into hiding when he woke up – he was definitely afraid. I'm sure he knows why." 

"Shige, I still have to head up the investigation. Since you have Koyama..." Nakamaru trailed off apologetically.

"It's fine. I can handle it." 

Koyama frowned prettily. " _We_ can handle it." 

~ ~ ~ 

The house was eerily quiet. Shige would have expected a place like this to be crawling with staff. Koyama said it was a little odd but Matsumoto had the place on lock down. He had to enter a myriad of different security codes as they made their way through the estate. 

Shige didn't have enough information to reliably determine what kinds of weapons killed sirens so he brought a little of everything and hoped for the best. Silver bullets were usually a safe bet. Though Koyama knew the layout of the house Shige insisted on taking the lead. He had looked intensely uncomfortable when Shige had tried to get him to carry one of his spare sidearms. It was completely ridiculous for him to be unarmed but they didn't have time to argue. 

When they began their descent into the basement level, Koyama gave Shige's shoulder a light squeeze and leaned forward to murmur in his ear. "We're getting close. If Mastumoto is here he'll be in one of these rooms." Shige pushed the pleasant shiver his voice sent down his spine to the back of his mind. He just needed to finish the job, everything else could wait. 

Koyama knew he should be completely terrified. They were deliberately tracking down creature who had already killed three people and was certainly hunting another. Not to mention his not insignificant role in the creature's captivity. Between the constant background fear of Matsumoto and the more present danger of the escaped siren Koyama felt strangely calm. Like he had gone right through horror and out the other side. He wondered if Shige felt like this all the time, he seemed so competent. 

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind then when Shige, his eyes focused on the shadowed corners ahead of them, stumbled over a small step. Koyama caught him before he went down with a strong arm around his waist. Even in the dark it was easy to see Shige was blushing. Apparently life threatening situations didn't prevent him from finding Shige adorable. 

They were right outside of the room where Masuda had been held when they heard the voices. It sounded like Masuda was speaking but behind every word, just on the edge of hearing was a sinuous melody. 

"Shut up." 

Matsumoto must have been speaking but his voice cut off mid-word with a harsh sound.

"We have company." 

Koyama froze with indecision but he and Shige weren't really given a choice. Immediately he could feel his willpower slipping away. It wasn't the dreamy fog of last time, he was perfectly aware that his limbs wouldn't obey him. He didn't know if it was better or worse this way. 

"Come in." They entered the room. Matsumoto seemed unaware of their presence. 

"Drop the weapons." 

Shige's hand opened immediately, the bag landing on the dark stone with a dull, heavy thunk. 

"But not that one." Masuda pointed at the gun in Shige's hand. "That one goes here." He tapped lightly at his own forehead. 

Koyama could see Shige straining with the effort of attempting to disobey but his arm moved inexorably, resting the barrel against his own temple. 

The siren made a small soothing sound at Koyama's pained sound of protest. "Don't worry, Koyama-kun. It's just a precaution." 

"Why didn't you kill us first? Why go through all of this and come back here? Why not leave?" 

Masuda ticked his head to the side, appearing more birdlike than Koyama had seen him before. "Three reasons." He held up one finger, "When I first escaped I was very weak. I hadn't properly exercised my abilities in more than a year and I wasn't certain I could control both of you." 

"Second, Matsumoto has something of mine that I very much intend to get back. This is where you come in, Koyama-kun." 

"Me?" 

The siren's whole face brightened as he looked at Koyama. "Yes. Matsumoto is a clever man. He took something of mine and hid it away and he did so in such a way that I would need him to gain entry to the hiding place. Until I had the keys he had to live. Of course he didn't keep the keys. One went to a trusted associate whom I've already tracked down." He flourished a small silver key with a smile that sent a chill down Koyama's back.

"He gave the other one to you." He turned to Matsumoto who had been staring sightlessly ahead, caught in the cloud Masuda had cast over him. His voice was as hard as ocean battered cliffs. How could something so harsh still sound so beautiful? "Tell him." 

"It's one of your keys, Koyama. The one marked kitchen storage." Compelled, Matsumoto sounded far kinder than he ever had of his own volition. 

Koyama found the key and thrust it at Masuda, eager to be rid of it and whatever it concealed. 

"Now, Matsumoto. Give it back." 

Matsumoto took the keys and dreamily drifted over to an unremarkable stretch of wall. It was like a movie, Koyama thought. A small panel opened with one of the keys, a sequence of numbers was keyed in revealing a door in the far wall.

Masuda's eyes flashed like lightning on the open ocean, his voice thundered, "So close? This entire time?"

Matsumoto's reply was a dreamy murmur, "Always have a back-up plan." 

The second key and what looked like a retinal scan–the kind in spy movies–opened the door at last. Koyama had no idea what to expect, some kind of treasure?

Shige seemed to be on the same wavelength because he was muttering under his breath, "Kitsune have spheres and dragons have pearls but what the hell do sirens have?" 

A slim figure emerged from the shadows, bound and gagged much like Masuda had been. Koyama's heart contracted painfully. "There are two of them," he heard himself whisper. 

The boy shook back brilliantly blond hair as Masuda lunged for the gag, tearing it off. "Massu," he breathed. Even under the rust of disuse his voice shone like burnished gold. 

"Tegoshi." They shared a warm look before turning to face their captor. 

"Enough." Masuda's voice crashed. "Now you will face our wrath." 

The change in Masumoto was immediate. The tide of dreamy lassitude rushed out of him. He instantly went rigid, his face frozen in a rictus of terror. 

Masuda flicked his gaze back to Koyama and Shige. "I had three reasons. The last is that I wanted him to wait. To fear - knowing death was coming for him, trapped in a prison of his own making." 

The other boy smiled gently, his lovely voice perfectly tranquil, "Now go lock yourself in the cage and lay down in the bath. Submerge yourself completely and scream. Scream and don't stop. Don't forget to take a deep breath." 

"As easily as that?" Masuda sounded reproachful even as they watched Mastumoto's horrific, stilted movements toward the cage – his body clearly attempting to fight the compulsion. 

Tegoshi just shook his head slightly. "It's done." 

Koyama couldn't bring himself to look, closing his eyes as Matsumoto turned the lock. He heard the telltale splashes of someone entering the water. When the screaming started he covered his ears–it wasn't terribly effective. Finally it was quiet again. 

"As for you," Masuda turned to the two of them, his expression inscrutable. "Detective, you can lower your arm. Empty the clip and put the gun away." 

Shige moved mechanically, silver bullets raining to the floor with a musical tinkle. "If you intend to keep killing I'll have to come after you." 

Masuda laid an arm across his companion's shoulders. "Don't worry, we're leaving the country. I doubt we'll be return any time soon." 

Shige nodded, "Ok then." 

The music was finally fading, he and Shige were both alive. But Koyama couldn't them leave just yet. "Masuda-san, I'm so sorry." 

The siren, nearly out the door, smiled beautiful and wild and strange even after everything Koyama had seen. "I know." Then they were gone and the music with them. 

Shige scrubbed his hand across his eyes. "God, I'm glad that's over." 

Koyama found himself shaking slightly, an after effect of a powerful adrenaline rush. He guessed that's what happened when one is denied both flight and fight. 

"I actually wasn't sure how I was going to get us out of that one," Shige admitted. 

"Now what?" 

"Well, I'll write up a very detailed report on the whole incident so if something like this comes up in the future there will be as much information as possible. Didn't actually get to find out if silver would have been effective. Damn." 

"What do we do about-" Koyama trailed off, gesturing vaguely at the cage and the body inside, slightly sickened by the strength of his own relief. 

"I'm not the police, you know. I'll clean up here and tell Nakamaru what happened. He'll classify Matsumoto's death as a suicide and the whole damn city will be glad to be rid of him." 

"That's convenient." 

"I'm afraid to ask because I'm pretty sure I know the answer. Did Matsumoto keep other... pets?" 

Despite everything, Koyama chuckled. "What do you think, smarty pants?" 

"Hey, no nicknames." 

He especially like the way Shige's brow furrowed when he was pretending to be annoyed. "Sure, Shige. I'm kind of out of a job at the moment. And I have a small amount of experience in the field. I could help you out for a while. You know, if you need a hand." He gave Shige the extra earnest face, it seemed to be particularly effective on him. 

"Yeah. I guess that's fine." Shige wouldn't quite meet his eyes and Koyama grinned. "But if you're going to work with me, you have to learn how to shoot a damn gun." 

"Whatever you say." 

"For now though, let's get the hell out of here." 

Koyama had never been happier to obey an order.


End file.
